The Way Things Are
by SephoraJane
Summary: Kay’s leaving Harmony. Miguel’s staying. How does the pair react?


The Way Things Are  
By: Sephora-Jane  
  
Summary: Kay's leaving Harmony. Miguel's staying. How does the pair react?  
  
Disclaimer: The usual disclaimer applies. I, of course don't own Passions or any of its related ideas, character, etc. I also don't own Fiona Apple's lyrics or music, which were used in this piece. (The song used was "Paper Bag" off her album, "When the Pawn") Anyway, don't sue me, I'd really appreciated it.   
  
They all sat in a circle. They laughed, and conversed about all the things that adolescents talk about. Kay sat next to Miguel. Miguel sat next to Charity. That was the difference, Kay realized. That she chased him, and he chased her. This was Kay's last night in Harmony. She was leaving for State College on the opposite side of the country, tomorrow morning. The whole gang, the usual gang, Miguel, Charity, Reese, Simone, and Jessica, were being nice, exceptionally nice, as to make up for the times they weren't. Kay noticed, but tried to ignore it, because she knew this was the last time she was going to see them like this. The last time they were going to be a group. Although, she suffered more that she enjoyed being around them, this is where her childhood and adolescence was. This is where all her memories stood. Somehow, Kay appreciated that. She appreciated the whole aspect that this is where she came from. The gang knew, if nothing else, that is was their real last night with Kay. She wasn't coming back. They, quite possibly, were going to be townies. That was their destiny. But Kay was always a big city girl. She may have been born in the suburbs, but her heart and fate were in a big city, far away from here.   
  
Miguel looked at Kay. She was all grown up now. At some point in his life, Kay was his fixed point. The world was his compass, and she was his fixed point. But now Charity filled those shoes. He regretted not doing a lot of things that he could of with his girl next door. This past year, her existence didn't matter to him, he admitted to himself. It was hard to even think that, but it was true. The only thing that didn't make Miguel feel guiltier about it, was the fact that he regretted it so much. She was leaving tomorrow. Leaving her family, leaving her friends, leaving him. He needed her. He needed her advice. He needed her around when he would wed Charity; he needed her for everything that was coming ahead for him. This was bad, though, because he only called her when he needed her. All that Miguel hoped for at this point was that Kay would forgive him sometime in the future. For now, all he could do was put on a smile for his best friend. He looked at Charity for a brief second. He thought, how it was possible, that such an innocent person could possibly inflict so much pain on someone, especially a loved one.   
  
"A so-called loved one," Kay suddenly said out of the laughter in the room.  
  
Miguel looked back at Kay. She knew what he was thinking. Before it was different. Before he knew how to read Kay and her every thought. This however was strange. The very thought, she knew. And the words, a so-called love one. "Doesn't she understand that we all love her?" Miguel asked himself angrily under his breath, hoping that she would hear.   
  
"What was that, Miguel?" Charity asked sweetly.   
  
"Nothing. Nothing that would change anything in anyone's mind," Miguel said with an intense gaze. Kay didn't miss that look. That look was only there when Miguel was frustrated. They were all sitting on the floor in Kay's room. Kay got up, towering over them, as she dusted off her clothes.  
  
"Let's put on a little music," She said. Charity looked at Miguel. She knew that something was bothering him, but she couldn't exactly put a finger on it. She knew that he was upset because Kay was leaving, but there was something else, she could feel it. Charity watched Kay as she walked to her boom box and put in a CD she couldn't see. "Here's some in site, on my mind," Kay said facing the floor. It seemed, to Charity, like she was about to uncover something about herself, that she hadn't revealed before. And then it came on. A beat came on. And then the words. The words hit hard, for everyone.   
  
I was staring at the sky, just looking for a star  
To pray on, or wish on, or something like that  
I was having a sweet fix of a daydream of a boy  
Whose reality I knew, was a hopeless to be had  
But then the dove of hope began its downward slope  
And I believed for a moment that my chances  
Were approaching to be grabbed  
But as it came down near, so did a weary tear  
-I thought it was a bird, but it was just a paper bag  
-Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills  
Cuz I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up  
I got to fold cuz these hands are too shaky to hold  
-Hunger hurts, but starving works,  
When it costs too much to love  
And I went crazy again today,  
Looking for a strand to climb  
Looking for a little hope  
Baby said he couldn't stay, wouldn't put his lips to mine,  
And a fail to kiss is a fail to cope  
I said, "Honey, I don't feel so good, don't feel justified  
Come on put a little love here in my void," - he said  
"It's all in your head," and I said, "So's everything" -  
But he didn't get it - I thought he was a man  
But he was just a little boy  
-Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills  
Cuz I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up  
I got to fold cuz these hands are too shaky to hold  
-Hunger hurts, but starving works,  
When it costs too much to love  
-Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills  
Cuz I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up  
I got to fold cuz these hands are too shaky to hold  
-Hunger hurts, but starving works,  
When it costs too much to love  
  
"So," Kay began, sadly. Everyone could see it in her eyes, the agony she felt at that very moment. That was the moment everyone saw the humanity in Kay. They were all shocked. Kay turned off the music and sat back down next to Miguel, and continued to look toward the floor. Miguel knew what she wanted, but he knew he couldn't give it to her, just like the song said. He felt bad, because he couldn't fill this emptiness in her. Charity looked at the awkwardness and tension between Kay and Miguel. He grabbed Miguel's hand and squeezed it. She knew, and she understood.   
  
"Go, Miguel, do what you have to do," she whispered to him gently. Miguel just nodded. Charity yawned dramatically and stretched. "Boy am I tired." She got up and went to hug Kay. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. Have a good night. I'm just sorry I couldn't stay awake." She looked at all the others, sending them hints to go along with her.  
  
"Oh Kay, I'm going to go to Charity's room for a couple of minutes, she had the cutest bag she wanted to show me, I'll be back later," Simone said as she rose and followed Charity out of the room.  
  
"I'm going to go. It's getting late. Don't want the folks to get worried. I'll call you tomorrow, Miguel," Reese said, poking his glasses into place.  
  
"I'll walk you to your house, Reese," Jessica offered.  
  
"Okay." The pair exited and Kay and Miguel continued to sit as they had been before.  
  
"Do you have a feeling we were purposely being left alone," Miguel tried to grin.  
  
"Yeah, well, I'm getting tired too. So?" Kay asked suggestively as she approached her door.   
  
"So you want to avoid me on that last day that you can?" Miguel asked grabbing her by the shoulders to face him. Their eyes locked, and as only they could, as only soul mates could, they read into each other's souls. They felt one another's pain, happiness, anger, everything. That spark, Kay felt, and it overtook her. A tear flowed down her face. Miguel reached out to dry it. Kay reached out to hold his hand there. With his hand there, on his best friend's cheek, he felt her flush. She was flushed like a twelve-year-old with a crush. She looked so vulnerable and cute, that he had to resist the temptation to kiss her. Kay placed her other hand on Miguel's cheek. His face arched toward her warm, soft hand. They stood like that for many minutes, just staring into one another's eyes. Kay began to move her hand toward his hair. She stroked it gently, closing her eyes, trying to feel instead of see. They didn't quite understand what was going on, all they knew was that they wanted the moment to last forever.  
  
"Miguel, I need to kiss you."  
  
"You know you can't do that."  
  
"Just watch me."  
  
Kay lunged in for a kiss. She kissed his soft lips, and then she felt his soft tongue, fighting with hers, in a battle of lust and passion. It was his turn to stroke her hair, but his stroke was stronger, coarser. Kay loved every minute of this. Suddenly, Miguel pulled away, breathing heavily.   
  
"I'm sorry Kay. I can't continue this. I'm getting married in a few weeks. She's in this very house."  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry to hear that you can't follow your heart. I'm also sorry that I followed mine."  
  
"Don't say that Kay. What just happened wasn't a mistake; it was a beautiful moment. And a memory."  
  
"I don't want it to be a memory. I want it to last forever."  
  
"It can't be that way. You know that."  
  
Kay opened the door to her room, and motioned for him to leave. That's how it would end between them, like it had begun. Miguel collected himself, wiping his lips of the lip-gloss Kay had kissed him with and walked out the door. "Good-bye, Kay," he said toward the closed door of her room. Then he walked away, and into Charity's room. Kay locked her door, not wanting to let anyone in and at the same time, she locked her heart. Kay Bennett was never going to be the same again. Simone knocked on her door, and eventually she pounded, hoping Kay would open the door, but of course she didn't.  
  
Early the next morning, before anyone was awake, Kay went through her usual normal routine, and then she went outside her house and into an opaque world, one where the sun was on the verge of rising, yet night was still around. She sat on her front porch and stared at the sky looking at the disappearing stars. Those stars, they were her, they were disappearing, like her. She was disappearing from Harmony, from this life everyone had expected her to take. Kay was disappearing into something better. "Good-bye, Miguel," she said as daylight broke. She had to let go, because this the way things go, this is the way things are.  



End file.
